Their bodyguards' presence outside set the gritty, bustling neighbourhood of Center Havana abuzz, and a crowd gathered downstairs shouting Beyonce's name until she went to a balcony and waved.

Police arrived and made sure she was able to exit without incident.

"She was beautiful, without a drop of makeup, very natural," waitress Silvia Fernandez said.

Singer Beyonce poses for photos with school children as she tours Old Havana, Cuba. Beyonce is in Havana with her husband, rapper Jay-Z on their fifth wedding anniversary. Picture: AP

"What happened with the people was incredible."

On Thursday the couple toured colonial Old Havana wearing dark glasses and surrounded by bodyguards and excited fans. Beyonce posed for pictures with local schoolchildren while Jay-Z puffed on a Cuban cigar, and then they popped into another restaurant that boasts a rooftop terrace with a sweeping view of the harbour.

Beyonce and Jay-Z declined to speak to reporters, and it was not clear why they traveled to Cuba. State-run website CubaSi called it a tourist trip.

Washington's 51-year embargo makes it illegal for US citizens to visit Cuba for mere tourism, although tens of thousands of Americans travel here each year on academic, religious, journalistic or cultural exchange licenses. In the past, artists who were challenged by the government have said they visited for cultural purposes.

Beyonce, the multiple Grammy winner who performed at this year's Super Bowl halftime show and US President Obama's inauguration, and Jay-Z, the rapper and entertainment mogul who recently went into the sports-agent business, were married April 4, 2008 in Paris.

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